PARIS — A violent attempted kidnapping targeting the family of a prominent cryptocurrency executive shocked residents in Paris’s 11th arrondissement on Tuesday morning, when masked men tried to abduct a woman and her young son in broad daylight.
The failed abduction, which unfolded around 08:20 local time on Rue Pache, involved three attackers who jumped out of a white van and tried to seize the woman and child.
The woman, identified as the daughter of the co-founder of French Bitcoin exchange platform Paymium, and her husband resisted fiercely, drawing the attention of passers-by who ultimately intervened.
The ordeal was partially captured on video by an eyewitness and quickly spread on social media. Footage shows a chaotic struggle in the street as the couple desperately fought off the masked assailants, who were dressed in black.
The woman can be seen grabbing a firearm from one of the attackers and throwing it into the road—police later confirmed the weapon was a replica air gun.
The woman’s husband was reportedly struck multiple times on the head while trying to defend his family. The couple’s cries for help drew attention from nearby residents and pedestrians, including a group of schoolchildren who were on their way to a local primary school.
While initial witnesses were hesitant to step in, several bystanders eventually rushed forward, prompting the attackers to retreat. The three men jumped back into their van, driven by a fourth accomplice, and fled the scene. One quick-thinking local hurled a fire extinguisher at the van as it sped off.
Emergency responders arrived shortly after the assailants fled. The family was taken to a hospital and treated for minor injuries. Paris police have opened an investigation, and the brigade specializing in armed robbery is leading the case.
The attempted abduction marks the latest in a disturbing trend of violent attacks targeting cryptocurrency figures and their families in France. Just over a week ago, police rescued the father of a cryptocurrency millionaire who had been kidnapped while walking his dog in a separate incident in Paris.
The man was held for ransom and, in a gruesome turn, had one of his fingers severed before police were able to free him three days later. Several suspects were arrested in that case.
In another high-profile incident from January, David Balland, co-founder of cryptocurrency wallet company Ledger, was abducted along with his wife from their home in central France. He too was later found with a missing finger after being rescued from a house in Palaiseau, south of Paris.
These violent incidents underscore growing concerns among French authorities and the crypto community about the increasing vulnerability of individuals connected to digital currency fortunes.
As cryptocurrency values rise and high-profile investors gain visibility, criminal gangs appear to be shifting their focus to exploiting the sector’s wealthy elites.
Paris police have appealed for witnesses or anyone with information regarding the Rue Pache incident to come forward. Meanwhile, security experts are urging crypto entrepreneurs to take extra precautions to safeguard themselves and their families against such targeted attacks.
